A Getty Romance

Disclaimer: All Twilight related characters belong to S. Meyer.

Chapter 11

It was closer to nine o'clock by the time I made it down to the deserted café terrace. The tables were untouched and the chairs folded and leaning against the empty tables. All except for one.

Edward was seated and facing away from me, feet crossed and propped on the edge of a table. He stared out over the gardens, fingers clasped on his stomach. There were two glasses of champagne on the table beside him.

I knew he could hear me. The sound of my heels echoed on the smooth, flat surface of the floor, walls and pillars. I stopped next to his chair. "Sorry I'm late," I said quietly. I looked down at him and stared fixedly at his mop of unruly hair. So unfit for an executive, but perfect for him.

Edward.

He lifted his face to smile at me. "Don't apologize."

It was dark down here, illuminated only from the lights that lit the garden for the party. We were shrouded in a silver darkness. I should have been nervous, and I was a little bit, but not as much as I had anticipated. Having Edward near was soothing.

"Have a seat," he said, lowering his feet off the table and pulling a chair out for me.

I sat down and crossed my legs as he reached for the matching champagne glasses. "I snuck this for you."

I smirked at him. "What did everyone think? Wooing some poor investor down by the gardens?"

Edward shook his head as I took the glass from between his fingers. "Please. I try to be professional."

We clinked glasses quietly and took sips. The chilled, sparkling liquid tasted good on my tongue. It was good champagne. Nice and dry. I started at the swirling bubbles in my glass, determined to play this as cool and innocent as possible. He probably just wanted to catch up. Ask how far I got in my book. Tell me about his trip. Right?

I chanced a look. He was gazing out on the gardens, face relaxed and serene. His champagne flute was back on the table. I set mine down next to his.

He didn't speak. Instead he reached his hand out between us and opened his palm, fingers outstretched.

What?

I looked nervously back at him, but he was still staring ahead, a coy smile on his lips. Hesitantly, I slid my palm over his and wrapped my fingers around his hand as he did the same. His skin was smooth and warm and his grip on my hand was firm, but tender. I felt like we had connected an electrical current. There were tiny tingles spreading up my arm and I wondered if it was falling asleep.

His thumb began sweeping back and forth over the top of my hand and the tingles intensified. I was transfixed by the image of our two hands clasped together. I watched his thumb move over my skin as it drew little circles and shapes. I realized too late that my body had started trembling.

Edward froze and squeezed my hand. He looked over at me with a worried expression on his face. "Are you all right?"

My face was on fire. I was so embarrassed. Of course I was all right. I was more than all right. I hadn't been this happy in forever. "I'm perfect," I said in a whisper. My was voice too tight to say anything else.

He smiled and started moving his thumb again. After a moment he adjusted his position so he was leaning on his knees closer to me. I watched him quietly, eyes glued to his. What was happening?

"I meant what I said, you know," he murmured.

Even in the dark I could see the perfect color of his lips. "About what?" I asked distractedly.

"About wanting you to be here tonight." He closed his other hand around our joined ones.

I chewed on my lip, afraid to ask the one question that I needed the answer to. With one last deep breath, I decided to go for it. Alice would be proud.

"Why?" I asked. My voice sounded strangely loud in the empty space.

Edward was looking down at our hands, turning mine over in his palms and tracing the lines in my fingers. I don't know how he could concentrate on speaking at the same time. "I like spending time with you," he said. When he lifted his head his eyes were warm and comforting and his smile was sincere. "Do you like spending time with me?"

"Yes." Apparently I only spoke in single syllables now.

"Did you think about me while I was gone?"

I nodded slowly.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment before lifting one of his hands to my face. He touched my cheek with a single finger, tracing my cheekbone before dragging it down my face and hooking it under my chin. I felt the need to look away and to hide my face but his finger kept my chin level.

"I thought about you," he said. His voice was low and rough. I wasn't sure why, but it was different than I'd ever heard it before. It thrilled me. "I couldn't help it."

I sucked in a shaky breath.

"Is this too much?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all. Just unexpected."

Edward cocked his head. "Why?"

I laughed to myself and he lowered his hand, sliding it down my arm and back to my hand. "Girls like me aren't supposed to anticipate this kind of attention."

He squeezed my fingers. "Girls like you?"

"Regular people."

"Am I not regular?" He was teasing me now.

"You know what I mean," I turned away as I felt my cheeks flush.

He pressed a finger to the side of my chin and turned my face back towards him. "Isabella, you are definitely not a regular woman. Not to me."

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my frantic heartbeat. I drew a deep breath through my nose and exhaled. "What's happening?" I asked, as I opened my eyes. "Edward, what are we doing?"

He smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "I was hoping you could help me figure that out."

"Me?"

Edward lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my knuckles. I felt the blood drain from my face. Oh dear God. "Is it okay with you that I think about you?"

"Yes."

Another kiss. "Is it okay with you if I want to see you…more?"

More. "Yes."

He kissed my hand again, slower this time, more suggestive. He didn't lift his head when he spoke, instead he let his lips glide over the sensitive skin on my hand. "Is it okay if I want to kiss your mouth right now?"

My hand involuntarily flexed in his grip, squeezing his fingers between my own. Was this really happening?

"Isabella?"

"Yes," I said breathlessly. "Yes that's okay."

The smile that spread over his face was radiant and victorious. He reached his hand towards me again, this time cupping my cheek in his palm. I leaned into his touch as he moved towards me.

In the darkness I tried to see everything. The freckles high on his cheekbones, the delicate shape of his nose, the bow of his upper lip, the strong shape of his chin. I'd spent so much time admiring him but never like this. Never so close and so intimately.

His fingers flexed against my cheek and I leaned forward too, suddenly realizing how much I wanted this. This handsome man whom I'd spotted one random day in the gallery had singlehandedly turned my life pleasantly upside down. I hadn't let myself hope this much, but now that he was leaning in to kiss me, I realized how much I'd longed for it.

I let my eyes flutter closed when I felt his breath on my face and although I couldn't see him, I could feel when he was finally close enough to press his lips to mine. He kissed me softly at first, barely a brush of his lips against my own. When I didn't pull away, he kissed me more - harder this time. Our lips pressed together in the perfect balance of give and take.

He kissed my top lip, then my bottom and I lifted my chin for more.

His other hand moved over my face, thumb tracing the arch of my cheekbone. His lips were moist, as if he'd licked them with his tongue. I drew a shaky breath though my nose. He was still for a moment before parting his lips enough to drag the tip of his tongue along my bottom lip. I gasped over his lips, and pressed closer as he slipped his tongue into my open mouth.

I had never been kissed like this before. Never had I been so on the edge of my seat (literally) at the hands of a man. This wasn't any man though. This was Edward Cullen and I had a feeling he was special. I wanted so badly to learn how special he was.

He pulled back slowly and he moved his fingers over my face with a feather-light touch. He pressed his forehead to mine and drew a deep breath. I was panting and for once, I wasn't embarrassed about it.

I felt his head shake back and forth slightly, moving both of ours as a result. "That was…"

"Amazing," I said, finishing for him.

He laughed and sat back so he could see my face. "Yes. Amazing." His hands moved to push some of my hair out of my face before the warmth in his eyes faltered. His eyebrows crumpled and he shook his head. "Isabella, I'm not in the position to…start something serious right now it's just not…the time but–"

"It's okay," I said without thinking. And it was. Wasn't it?

No, it wasn't. I wanted it to be serious. I think that for me, it already was.

"It's not though," he said earnestly, moving his thumb on my cheek. "You deserve something serious. I shouldn't have done this. I just…I can't."

"Then don't."

Edward let out a pained sigh and tilted his head to one side, eyes fixed on my face. "So what do we do?"

My fingers played with the knot in his tie. For some reason I felt like I was entitled to do this. If I wasn't getting a relationship out of this, the least I could get was to play with his stupid tie. For so long I'd done the 'right' thing with men. I'd been wooed, dated, and been meek and quiet. It was innocent and sweet and in general, never led anywhere. This time was different. Edward was different. He was intelligent, powerful and everything that I had never experienced before. Even if it was self-destructive and stupid I wanted it. I wanted him.

For reasons I couldn't explain.

"Eat lunch with me tomorrow," I said softly.

"No."

His abrupt answer shocked me. I blinked and reared back but he held me still as a slow, cocky smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. "I'll buy you lunch tomorrow."

Then he kissed me again.

A/N: *ducks* Okay so before you start *ducks again* throwing stuff at me just know that Edward is a very nice man with the best intentions. REMEMBER THAT. Also he thinks about Bella A LOT. He even said so :) We shall leave our favorite pairing here for a while where they are currently enjoying some sort of twisted limbo relationship thing. I'll probably be back earlier next week than I say because I'm WEAK. We get to have a little fun now :)

Thanks for reading and for all of your lovely reviews. I appreciate it so much! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

All my love and thanks to Aussiegirl101 for her beta'ing expertise! xx